Locomotive-driving-box wedge-adjusting device



Oct. 18, 1927. 1 1,645,659

F. R. PETERS LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING BOX WEDGE ADJUSTING DEV ICE Filed March 16. 1925 M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNlTED STATES i i tater: PATENT QFFi cf-e.

FRANK RICHARD PETERS, or new YonK, N. Y., Assienon 'ro rna'n'xniiv, RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, A oonronn'rron or DELAWARE.

Application filed March 16, 1925. Serial No. 15,737.

This invention has reference to an improved locomotive driving box wedge adjusting device and. has for its primary object the provision of an apparatus of the type specified in which the pressure acting against the wedge to adjust the same will vary with the steam or power hat is being used by the locomotive to drive it.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a fluid actuated adjusting means for a locomotive driving box wedge which will act automatically to maintain the wedges in proper operating condition.

The drawing is a side elevation of the forward portion of a locomotive showing my improved wedge adjusting mechanism ap plied thereto.

In order that my invention may be better understood I will now describe the same in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated it in preferred form and, in which it will be seen, I have shown the forward'portion of a locomotive 1 provided with three driving wheels 2 mounted in the frame 3 which at one side of each of the pedestal jaws t is provided with an adjusting wedge 5 that is held up ward by a piston rod 6 and piston 7 operatn in a cylinder 8 which is secured to the under side of the pedestal binder 9 and has connected with it a pipe 10 which leads to each of the several cylinders and provides a convenient method of equalizing the pressures therein through the use of a fluid me dium in the pipe 10 which comes from a reservoir 11 that is provided with a piston 12 and hand wheel 13 and a valve device 1 1 with two spring held'ball valves 15 and 16 all of which function in the usual mannerto supply fluid or preferably non-freezing liquid pressure to the pipe 10.

Connected with the pipe 10 is a cylinder 17 that contains a piston 18 held down by spring 19 and also by cross lever 20 that rests upon the upper end of the piston stem 21 these parts functioning to exert a pressure upon the fluid or liquid contained in the cylinder 17 and connected pipe 10 in a manner which will be plain from examination of the drawing.

The lever 20 is fulcrumed at 22 and at its other end engages a piston rod 23 of a piston 2% which operates in a cylinder 25 that is in turn connected by the pipe 26 with the live steam pipe 2'? or with some other source of live steam pressure controlled by the usual throttle means of the locomotive so that when the locomotive is working therewill be live steam pressure in the pipe 26 and the cylinder 25 and otherwise there will not be pressure in these parts. The pipe 10 and the connected cylinders 8 (of which there is preferably one associated with each Wedge) are filled'with a non-freezingliquid of some character which also fills the cylinder 17, and it is evident that there will be a pressure exerted on each of the pistons 7 upwardly against the corresponding wedge .f') thru the pressure of the spring 19 which, 111 practice, I find it well to make just about sufficient to maintain the weight of the wedges and exert a very light force. If now the locomotive begins to work steam live steam will be admitted to the' pipes 27 and 26 and enter the cylinder 25 exerting force against the piston 24 and this in turn thru the lever 20 will exert a downward force on piston 18 which in turn will augment the pressure of the spring 19 and increase the force operating to push the wedges 5 upward so that there will be a heavier pressure on the Wedges while the engine is working steam which will counteract the displacement tendency of the heavy pressure of the engine pistons and rods during the time the engine is exerting power and immediately the power is withdrawn by closure of the engine throttle or in any other way cutting off the steam, the extra pressure on the wedges will cease and there will remain only the slight pressure of the piston 18 with the spring 19 above it, which, as stated is preferably just about suflicient to hold the wedges up or overcome the weight of the wedge itself. I

lVith the ordinary arrangement in which only a spring is used to hold the adjustable wedge up against the thrust of the piston of the locomotive, a spring of very heavy tension is normally required. This arrangeinent functions all right with such heavy spring when the locomotive is working under steam pressure particularly on longer cut off but when the engine is drifting and there is no substantial thrust on the piston there is sometimes encountered a tendency of the adjustable wedge to work up and bind and cause the box which carries the driving wheel axle to stick a difiiculty which is accentuated if the wedges have not been kept properly lubricated.

I claim i. A locomotive wedge adjusting'device having fluid pressure means acting against the wedge to tighten the same when the engine is working steam, said means being actuated by steam pressure of the locomotive.

2. A locomotive wedge adjusting device having fluid pressure means acting against the wedge to tighten the same, and. auxiliary means to supplement the pressure of said fluid pressure means when the engine is working steam.

3. A locomotive wedge adjusting device having fluid pressure means acting against the wedge totighten the same, and a :;iliary means to supplement the pressure of said fluid pressure means when the engine is working steam, said auxiliary means being actuated by steam pressure of the locomotive.

4. A locomotive wedge adjusting device comprising in combination a fluid actuated piston liornexerting pressure on the wedge, means for supplying said piston withopcrative quantities of fluid pressure and means for supplementing the pressure on said wedge actuating piston when the locomotive is working steam.

5. A locomotive wedge adjusting device comprising in combination a series of driving box wedges, a piston for actuating each of said wedges, a series of cylinders enclosing said pistons, and a fluid pressure connection between said cylinders whereby the pistons in the same are operated and the pressures equalized.

6. A locomotive wedgeadjusting device havingmeans acting against the wedge to tighten the same when the locomotive is working steam, said means being actuated by steam pressure of the locomotive.

7. A locomotive driving box wedge adjusting device having fluid pressure means for tightening the wedge, said means being under the control of working steam.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK R. PETERS. 

